Currently untitled
by Melchocho
Summary: GTA5 AU. "You finally get to realize your childhood dream and dress up like a cop!" "Not like a cop, I AM a cop." Trevor/Michael, with dad/little franklin fluff
1. Chapter 1

"Are you sure, Townley?"

"You know that place is crap. The kids that don't make it out end up being chased by us eventually."

"The chief is already getting something started, right? Trying to get someone new to run the place?"

"And how long do you think that's gonna take?" Officer Townley took another sip of his coffee. "Don't get me wrong, we've got good dirt on 'em, but these things take time."

"But you were there when it all happened. Do you really think he's gonna take kindly to that?"

"He's gonna have to. Figure I'll call in a few favors. Use what we know about 'em if we have to."

"And what if you change your mind?"

"I change my mind all the time. I'm tired of that. I need something to ground me, ya know?"

"So you're gonna put that responsibility on him? A kid?"

"Its me who needs to be responsible, Lester-"

"Have you considered what happens if you get hurt on the job? You're not some accountant or anything-"

"I'm not gonna get hurt." Michael shrugged. "Not bad enough to end me. I'm not exactly trying to move up. I just want to stay long enough to figure out what I actually want to do."

"You're always welcome with us." Lester smiled.

"I'm already with you," Michael laughed a little. "But if I can do this, I can't be a crook. Not often. That's dangerous too."

Lester sighed, annoyed, but he understood he didn't exactly have leverage.

"This is a terrible idea. And just so you know, if you leave your job, I'm going to go back to North Yankton. I think it would be safer for both of us, since you wouldn't have the same ability to protect us."

"I know." Michael sighed. "But hey, if this doesn't happen… Maybe I'll take you up that offer. For real. You know I'm a terrific getaway driver."

"You would be a great asset." Lester said. "Maybe even more so than now."

They watched the sun set through the windshield of Michael's police car.

"I just want to take a shot at a more normal life. I don't want to live some double life forever. Find a job I like, maybe take one good score… Have a kid."

"So you're not trying things again with Amanda?"

"I don't even want to think of her right now."

Lester didn't fully believe him. "Whatever you're looking for, I hope you find it."

"You too." Michael smiled. "Now, I'll take you home. I gotta be ready to speak to my boss about it tomorrow."

—- Lester was smart. Real smart. And maybe Michael should have listened to him.

Franklin had seen police come for his mother, high on drugs and causing a major scene. When the cops came to diffuse the situation, he tried to defend his mother, tried to speak out, but Michael was the only officer who payed attention. He stayed with Franklin, holding him back as his mother was taken to the hospital. Franklin fought and cried. He was tough.

Franklin's mother, never came home. The cocktail of different drugs was too much. His aunt was contacted, and he would have stayed with her, but in the end she decided against it. She didn't want to raise a child that wouldn't amount to anything. So soon after, Franklin was placed into the system.

Michael spent a good number of nights with little sleep. The kid didn't deserve that. Despite the circumstances of their meeting, Franklin had left quite the impression. He wasn't someone who would amount to nothing. Michael remembered, before his asshole father finally vanished from his life, that he would call Michael useless, a waste, unwanted. He knew better than to take his work home with him. Jobs like this required a level of separation. But as he looked around his house, nice but barren and far too spacious, he couldn't help but feel like he should share it. Maybe Amanda wasn't going to stick around, big deal. Someone could, though. Michael wasn't even thirty yet, and knew feeling like he was already in some kind if midlife crisis was ridiculous, but he was lonely. Women who knew he was a cop were looking to get at his money, others were scared away. They didn't want to be involved with a man who could get killed any day. His work friends were either too boring or too corrupt, and as he took a sip of beer, he remembered something. Someone.

Little Trevor.

Lonely little Trevor.

He was tough too.

Michael wondered where he was. He wondered if anyone else cared.

Kids don't deserve to feel lonely.


	2. Chapter 2

p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"There was something in Franklin's face that made it seem as though you were speaking to someone much older than a boy of around eight. Maybe it was his serious, contemplative face. Maybe it was his tenseness. Maybe it was the way he yelled "I AINT GONNA LIVE WITH NO DAMN COP" at the meanest Nun in the orphanage, slid down the railing of the stairs, and hid in a supply closet for half an hour./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Michael should have known at that point that he had bitten off more than he could chew, but it actually endeared him. Michael himself was a cop and a part time criminal. He liked boisterous people, even if he denied it. He liked wild people who could distract him from himself./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Always had./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"He thought of Trevor./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"—-/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Michael drove in his own personal car, glancing constantly from the road to the reflection of Franklin in the rear view mirror. Wasn't this kid chubbier a few months ago?/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Unable to start a conversation, he changed his course, and drove to the nearest Up and Atom./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Whatever you want." He smiled when they got in line./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin's angry face softened and he went wide eyed. He uncrossed his arms and looked back and forth from the menu to Michael./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Anything?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""And something for later. Just today though." Responsible parent food could wait./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin wanted to say no and that he wasn't hungry, but remembering the flavorless grey oatmeal and bland soups of the orphanage, he simply couldn't say no./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""One condition," Michael decided. "You get all the vegetables they got on your burger." That counts as responsible, right? Onions and lettuce?/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin didn't care. He wolfed it down and inhaled his fries. He'd chosen orange juice to drink since he was "tired of that fake stuff from the corner store". Michael could tell the thought must have reminded Franklin of his home and mother, because he became quiet and sullen./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Michael plopped the extra food bag in front of Franklin. "Good. Cause we need to get food for the house. We'll get some big orange juices. You don't mind helping me shop, right kid?" Michael hopes his smile looked warm enough. Franklin was still unsure, but nodded. /span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Good. Cause I still gotta buy you, well… Everything."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"—-/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Michael put the groceries away himself, while he let Franklin walk around the house. He was slow, and careful. His judgmental little face was almost funny. He looked at the bookshelf, the kitchen, the bathroom. Michael slid the bag of Franklin's new clothes across the floor. "Take these to your room, over there. Please."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin scooped it up and went over to his door. He didn't want to be told what to do, but wow, his own room./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"He opened the door, slowly. Michael had purchased a full sized bed, and seemed to have taken extra care to set out the Ninja Turtles bed set correctly. A small tv was set up in top of a dresser that didn't match anything else in the room. There were no curtains on his window. Franklin swallowed nervously when he noticed. He turned to see if his room door had a lock. It didn't. He frowned. /span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"He looked over at the bed. The four heroes smiled back at him, and he felt a little more comforted. /span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"The knock at his open door made him jump./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Just me kid! Sorry." Michael smiled. "It's alright. How do you like it?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin looked at his bed and the to Michael. Franklin just sort of nodded./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Good! So… Whose your favorite? Da Vinci? DiCaprio."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Donatello." The child said, mildly insulted. "Man, don't you know?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Mouth." Michael lifted his brows, and pointed his finger as a small warning. "This is my house. I bust my a-uh, butt for it. So since your gonna stay here, we need to be polite, understand?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""What makes you think I wanna stay in this whack ass place?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Michael tried his best to not say something rude and sarcastic. He also needef to not say "you dont have anywhere else to go". He inhaled, exhaled, and said "Well, Frank, I've decided to be… Your mentor. I'm gonna teach you everything I know. And if you want to leave, someday, I'll have them set you up with another home. That is, if you just really really think my 'place' is unbearably 'whack'. Whatever you want."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin's face was a mix of nervousness and insult. "Why would I want to be like a cop?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Michael smiled weakly. "Kid, I don't want to be a cop."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"The child blinked in surprised. "Why the hell are you a cop then?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Because… Because I have to. Right now anyway." He sat down on the bed. "I wanted a house, and I need money for a house. And I needed my car. I needed to eat, and to sleep. So… I do what I have to for money. I want to retire as soon as possible. And I wasn't gonna make it in football like I wanted. Now I'm here. With you." He nudged Franklin's cheek. Franklin didn't like it. "And I gotta pay for you now."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""You bought me?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""No. You ain't some sack of bread. But you want to eat to, don't you?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin didn't respond. He looked down at his worn out sneakers. /span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""So I'm gonna be a cop for a while longer then."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""… Can't you get no other job?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Michael pulled out a pair of sneakers from the bag that would light up whenever someone walked. "Not if I want to keep you in this finery!"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin ducked down to untie his shoes, but Michael had already spotted the smile me was trying to hide. /span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Get your pajamas and go take a bath, Frank. Wash everything, got it?"/span/p 


	3. Chapter 3

p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin was slow to warm up. He seemed resentful of every other thing Michael did for him. br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; box-sizing: border-box;" /Franklin was being out in a new school. Michael could have probably kept out him back in whatever elementary school he was in before, but that school was farther away and too close to Franklin's old home, which stood empty now since his aunt moved out of state. This new school was beautiful. Clean and cheery, and the surrounding neighborhood was full of well off little families. Driving by, Michael likes to think maybe he'd be like these people, someday. Get a better house than his current one, closer to Vinewood Hills, and come home to the smiling faces of a wife and child. Glances in his rear view mirror though, he always caught little Franklin, glum and bored and angry./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"How familiar./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin didn't cause trouble, per se. He was pretty stern when he wanted his classmates to leave him the hell alone. He kept to himself. Understandable. But looking around as he pulled up to the school, Michael could see little kids running up to their best friends and hugging, squealing, holding hands and playing. /span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Hey kid," he turned to Franklin. "Ain't you got a birthday comin up?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin just shrugged in response but didn't make eye contact. /span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Tell your teacher I'm gonna be throwing you a class party then."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin's eyes widened and he liked at Michael. He spoke carefully. "You… Wanna throw me… A party?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""That's right. In your class. Being you a caaake, maybe some doughnuts…. I get em for free, you know." Michael could see some sort of worry in Franklin's face. "Ok, just think about it. I won't make you have a party if you don't want it. Thought maybe you could wow some of your friends, ya know?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Franklin swallowed. He opened the door and went in to style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; box-sizing: border-box;" /—-br style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; box-sizing: border-box;" /Michael loved his job sometimes. He was more clever than the small time criminals he would arrest for nabbing sneakers. The car chases were fun, and Michael was an excellent driver. There were days that were certainly more stressful and dangerous, but most days he was just patrolling and busting kids for speeding. Getting paid to race people or sit around coffee shops wasn't a bad way to get paid. Michael was robbing people when he was in uniform and when he wasn't. Beautiful./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"While in the police station, Michael decided to check his email. He glanced around quickly, to make sure he was alone, and signed in./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"He looked for a strange email address. Something that was an obscure mix if letters and numbers. That would be Lester./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Opening it up, he found a picture of a small sheet of paper, with a strange code written on it. He rolled his eyes when he recognized it was a code Lester was trying to develop. What a nerd./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"His eyes narrowed as he tried to decipher it quickly, so he could delete everything and go./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Might need you/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Forbr style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; box-sizing: border-box;" /A/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Score/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"If/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"You/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Want a part/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Of it/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""… Get a sitter."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Michael rubbed his hand down the side of his face. Where the hell was he going to get a babysitter?/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"—-/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"He could skip it, Michael thought. It wouldn't be a big deal. One job wouldn't hurt him too bad. But what would he do next time?/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Somewhere, Amanda was back to stripping, giggling the new breasts that Michael payed for in a stranger's face. She was driving around in the car he bought her and going out to party in the dresses he paid for. He lavished her with money, gifts, whatever she had wanted. It's funny how she never complained when we was getting her nails done every week, but if money got tight or Michael would be gone for a whole, oh, suddenly his line of work was a problem. More and more she would complain about his thievery, and try to push him into getting promotions at the station. Then she's turn around and say being a cop was just as dangerous, why can't you get a normal job Michael?/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Stripping and whatever other things she might do was perfectly safe though, apparently./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Michael slumped over his steering wheel. He looked at the school doors, waiting for Franklin to come out./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"Michael needed the money./span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"—-/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""I'll get there as soon as I can, you limp dick asshole! Don't rush me!"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Look," Lester said in to the phone. "Don't drag your ass. As soon as I get the call from one of my people to see if he's in on this, I want to move. And listen. I want you here for a very specific reason."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Which is?" The voice rumbled through the phone. "You miss me?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""I'm pissing myself over your return," Lester replied sarcastically. "I need you to make this exciting. Don't get caught and don't do anything stupid, but we need this to be good."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""What?"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""This guy I know, he's on the fence. I think. We need him to be payed well, and entertained-"/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Oh I can entertain."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);""Just get here. I need the both of you in the game. You can learn a lot from him."/span/p  
p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; outline: none 0px; margin: 15px 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; box-sizing: border-box;"span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"The person grunted. "This better be good. I better not be hauling my ass all the way out here for some bullshit." He hung up. He looked around. He was lost./span/p 


	4. Chapter 4

"Townley," an officer called. Michael "Townley! It's your kid's school."

Michael was on his way out, but stopped. "Franklin?"

He took the phone.

"Hello?…yes, I'm his-… A fight? Aw, geez, I'm sorry, he-…

…

What the hell do you mean 'GONE'?"

Michael slammed the phone down before the principle could finish.

"You, you, you, you, an' you!" Michael was practically shouting. "In your cars, now!"

The chief came out if his office. In appearance, he didn't seem like much, but he knew how to run things.

"What do you think you're doing, barking orders?" He said,

"I'm sorry, Cheif Officer Norton." Michael said. "But I'm taking some of your men. My kid ran away from school."

David Norton didn't get a chance to reply before Michael was out the door.

He sighed. "You heard him. Find the kid and get right back." He waved a hand in dismissal and walked back in to his office.

—-

Michael felt sick. This was a disaster.

The social worker assigned to Franklin's case wasn't difficult to deal with, but he would definitely have something to say about a missing child who got in to fights. Nervously, he tried not to imagine that his new adoptive child might be hurt or lost. Maybe someone took him. Maybe he walked in front of a car.

Hours passed and no one was sure where Franklin had gone. The level of adrenaline in Michael wasn't at all exciting. As he drove down roads and spoke to cops over his radio, he couldn't help feeling like he'd made the wrong choice.

Michael was a troubled kid. Michael arrested troubles kids. Michael ran with troubles kids who grew up to be troubled adults.  
Michael was not ready to raise a troubled kid.

Annoyed, he remembered Trevor again.

It was years since he'd seen him, but Trevor somehow seemed ever present. Trevor Philips had been a strange child. He was originally from Canada, and he, his mother, and brother eventually come to move in to some trailer park a while away from the one Michael was in at the time. He was always angry and loud and such a little shit. When he wasn't beating the crap out if other kids, he was looking up girls' skirts and being outrageously vulgar. Somehow though, he'd come to respect Michael. Trevor damn near adored Michael.

Despite all of Trevor's faults and the occasional fist fight they had between eachother, Michael never denied that they were best friends.

Best friends.

Best friends who might… Occasionally….

Michael pushed aside the thought as he scanned the area for Franklin. He couldn't let something happen to him, not after such a short time together. This kid didn't need to grow up like he and Trevor did. He shouldn't have seen his mother strung out like Mrs. Philips. He didn't deserve to feel lonely like Michael.

An overwhelming sense of uselessness came over him some time later. Michael could hear his father's voice now. What use was a cop who couldn't protect one little boy?

Over the Radio, he heard that Franklin's old neighborhood was clear of him. Damn. He had hoped Franklin would be headed back there.

His car stopped abruptly.

"Fuckin A." He said to himself. He turned and sped in the opposite direction.

Franklin was smart, like Trevor.  
Wise, like Trevor.  
A complete ass. Like Trevor.

Michael pulled up to his house. The window was open. The garbage bin was under it. The Sonic the Hedgehog backpack was abandoned next to it.

Michael jammed in his key and threw the door open.

"FRANKLIN!"

He found him in the kitchen. He was boiling hot dogs. His new socks were filthy and he had scrapes on his arms and legs. His little eyes were red and he sniffed, trying not to look upset but it was obvious.

Michael's temper didn't help.  
"What the hell were you thinking, Franklin?!" He took him by the shoulders as he knelt down. "I've the whole precinct is out there looking for you!"

Franklin was suddenly terrified. "NO!"

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why did you hop the fence at school, what were you thinking?!"

Franklin was shaking hard and crying. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, please don't make them take me! I don't want to go to jail!"

"The only place your goin' is your room!" He took him by the arm and stages him over, telling him "and dont you try to leave out that window!"

He called the station. Cheif Norton picked up.

"Your house?"

"Yeah. He's all scratched up."

"Alright. I'll call off the boys. You stay there, make sure he's okay. But listen, Townley."

"Yes, sir."

"Do you have any idea how long it usually takes for adoptions to go though? Especially for single fathers? Single fathers, who I might have had to do the favor of erasing certain details-"

"You what?"

"Your arrests. You were young. I might have… Excused them."

Michael wanted to say thank you, but it came out as "why?"

"Can't have one of my most promising officers walk around with that, can I? You have potential. You ran with crooks for a while, I know you can smell their bullshit from a mile away. And I've had more successful captures and arrests since you joined. These are the perks. Don't fuck this up."

Michael was silent.

"Our station is really coming up. Which means I'm coming up. I wasn't sure about you at first. Not at all. But you're proving yourself. Over time. And that's one less orphan who will end up with us. That is, if you can change him like you've changed yourself."

Change. Yeah. Michael wasn't changed.

"I'm tryin' Davey."

"Norton, Michael."

"Sorry sir."

"Townley, I have to ask." Norton said quietly. "I know it's not my business, but… Why? I thought you wanted to get married. Why this kid? Why so sudden?"

Michael inhaled. "Ah, Davey. You know I jump head first into relationships. I dunno. I've for a thing for people who look at me like they want me to die."

"What's Amanda going to think?"

"Amanda dont think." Michael corrected. "Besides, it's a done deal. Kid's gonna stay."

"That's the other thing. The social worker he's under. That young quack, Friedlander. We… Took care to make sure he was fine with you raising a boy on your own. But he's gonna know about what happened today. I can only help so much. Don't let him think you're not capable."

"I got it. Tell the boys I said thanks."

Michael loosened his tie and took off his police cap. He downed a beer, quickly. He'd taken to not drinking within sight of Franklin. It was a nice calm to feel after the worrying evening.

He wanted to go change, but he heard some faint sniffling.

A heavy feeling returned to his gut. He had no idea how to calm a crying child, but he should at least go in and check on his injuries. He opened the door, slowly.

"Frankie?"

He was under his blanket. Michael sat on the bed.

"You… You wanna… Talk about what happened?"

"Are… Are they still trying to get me?"

"Who?"

"…. The police."

Michael put hand on his shoulder through the blanket. "They were only looking for you to bring you home to me. Who the hell says your gonna get arrested?"

It was quiet for a moment before Franklin replied.

"My mom."

"… Your mom?"

"She s-said…. She said those pigs is always…. They're always g-gonna try to arrest m-me."

"Franklin." Michael was surprised. "Franklin, sit up and look at me. Ain't no one gonna arrest you."

"…. But mom-"

"Your mom had a hard time. And she did some things that the police need to keep under control. But that ain't got nothin' to do with you!"

Franklin didn't move. "She said they were gonna… Come after me… No matter what I did."

"Franklin." He said sternly. "You sit up and look at me. I mean it."

Slowly, Franklin sat up and uncovered himself. His little school uniform was dirty and wrinkled.

"Ain't no cop gonna come after you. And even if there was a bad one, it don't matter. You're my son now, do you understand?"

Franklin looked a little angry. "I don't have a dad."

Trevor.

Michael sighed. How'd this happen?

"Don't be dumb." He pointed a finger at Franklin. "I'm your dad. Maybe you do t like me yet, but I ain't some 'pig'. And you ain't some thug." Michael took Franklin by the chin so they would face each other. "And I ain't losing you to jail or any of that bullshit. You gotta know that if you don't behave, they're gonna try to find you another family. That weirdo that comes and talks to you is gonna ask about the fight. He's trying to protect you to. If he thinks you ain't gonna be good when your here-"

"But I didn't start the fight!" Franklin said. "Some kid hit me and he took my sneakers!"

Michael remembered frank a dirty socks. "Oh, did he?"

"… But I beat him up." Franklin said slowly. "I just forgot to take my shoes back…"

Michael laughed. "So you won?"

"Yeah." Franklin smiled a little, without hiding it this time.

"… I can't say I ain't impressed. But you need to let your teachers deal with it. You go right to them, that's what they get paid people's tax money for."

"… Okay, Michael."

"Ah, kid. You gonna make me go all emotional." He patted him on his head. "Let's go get some iodine. And band aids."

The smoke alarm went off. "The hot dogs!"


	5. Chapter 5thief

"It's me."

"Hey, L!" Michael said through the phone. "How you been."

"Patient." Lester scoffed. "But I heard through the scanner that you had a little problem yesterday. How is he?"

"He's fine. Got his shoes stolen by some punk at school. I'm gonna go in on Monday. Set the little shit straight."

"Good to hear. So. About the job."

"How big?"

"Better than we thought. We changed venues. There's a note I left in your mailbox-"

"Deciphering it now. I really hate this system." Michael looked down. It would be a bank in La Puerta. Someone Lester knew would be sabotaging the alarms. It wasn't a huge place, so two or three people would go in, but Lester wanted a distraction.

"Why don't I just lead them away? I can start a chase-"

"Not you. I, uh, don't want you away from the real job. You know the area. You'll be able to keep the score safe."

"And who am I with?"

"R. The one I had you pretend to nab a year ago."

"Been a while."

"Yeah, him and one other guy. You'll meet him at my place. That is, if you're coming."

Michael sighed. "It's kind of a drive to get over there. I want… Need to go. But I don't know who to leave him with. What happens if I have to hide overnight?"

"Then hide. Leave the haul with your partner. I'll make sure you get your share."

Michael looked into the kitchen when he heard a sizzling sound. Franklin was on a stepping stool, frying eggs.

Oh.

OH.

"Are you there, M?"

"Yeah, yeah," Michael smiled. "I'm in. But I need to be back as soon as possible, understand? You trust this guy to protect the whole thing?"

"Him, and R if he isn't caught."

"Alright. Let me know when your guy makes it in to town. We can go as soon as I have a day off."

"Yesss!" Michael heard over the phone. "Then we're in business! Burn the letter. I'll talk to you soon. And, um… Good luck with your kid's bully." He hung up.

Lester's phone rang almost as soon as he put it down. "Hello?" There was a lot of wind, but the loud booming voice on the other end was clear.

"I'll be there Monday night! Any word from your guy?"

"He's in," Lester answered. "We strike within the week. Where are you?"

"Pay phone. I still have to cut through Nevada an-…. What the hell are you lookin' at?… SAY IT AGAIN!"

There were gunshots before the line went dead. Lester shook his head and took a puff from his inhaler.

—-

Franklin sat outside of the office. Michael had gone in alone. He couldn't hear much, but he gathered that Michael was trying to explain that Franklin had been told to go home if he was in danger, and took it too literally. That wasn't the truth.

He looked down at his old, dirty sneakers and sighed. He thought about his mom. He wiped his eye, boys weren't supposed to cry. That's what she always said to him.

Michael came out, in full uniform, and smiled down at Franklin.

"I gotta come back later. That boy was suspended, but him and his parents are coming in for a talk. You ain't in trouble, okay?"

"… Yeah, okay Michael."

"Go ahead to your classroom, I'll see you soon."

And he did. Coming back in from lunch and a rather lonely recess, Franklin was really confused when the class went back in to classroom. The "happy birthday" banner was above the blackboard, with "FRANKLIN" written across it in colorful chalk. Superhero plates and cups were in every desk, with red napkins and plastic spoons. A few balloons and streamers were scattered around the room. As the other kids pushed passed Franklin and cheered as they ran in to the room, he looked up at the people by the teachers desk. She was busy getting all the kids in their seats. Michael stood, still in uniform, with two adults, an a small, scared looking Beverly Felton. He had a fat lip and bruising around his left eye.

He held out the sneakers.

"… S… Sorry."

Franklin eyed him suspiciously, but took the shoes. He looked up at Michael.

"We had a nice, long talk about how it's not nice to steal things that don't belong to you." Michael eyed Beverly. "Didn't we."

"Yes, Officer Townley!" The child said with a shaky voice. Most if the children were staring. Michael cleared his throat.

"That's right, kids. I'm officer Michael Townley, and uh…"

Franklin looked around nervously at the kids. Michael took a breath, pulled Franklin gently to his side, and gave him a small hug.

"And this is my son, Franklin."

Some of the kids looked confused. Most of them were just lost in the awe of his uniform.

"So, all of you better be good, understand? Because I can come down here and check in you kids whenever I want." He felt ridiculous, trying to smugly intimidate second graders, but despite Franklin's red face, he couldn't deny that it made him feel like a dad. The flirty teacher seemed absolutely smitten as he spoke, Beverly and his parents were embarrassed, and he was sure none of the kids would be harassing Franklin again. "And now, if the Felton's would like to sit down, we can get the cake and doughnuts out. Who likes soda?" —-

Michael took Franklin home early. He lead him to the garage, covering Franklin's eyes with his hands.

"You ready?"

"Whatchu doin', Michael?"

Michael pulled his hands away. "Tadaa!"

In the corner was a bike, probably bigger than needed, but Franklin could grow in to it. That was another perk from being a cop- seized property gets abandoned, and sometimes you get to call dibs.

He looked down and expected Franklin to be overjoyed. But his little face was angry as he tried to hold back tears. Michael's shoulder slumped and he frowned.

"C'mon, kid. What's wrong? I really tried for ya…"

Franklin looked up at him. He just looked sad and confused.

"My mom never threw me no party." He said. "But I wish she was here."

Michael couldn't speak. His heart sank down into his stomach as he realized there really wasn't much he could do. He got on his knees, and pulled Franklin to him. "It's okay, kid. I know…"

He held him there for a while. He doubted Franklin wanted it, but he picked him up and gently said "hey, look at me."

Franklin turned to him, but kept his eyes averted.

"You know." Michael smiled a little. "I knew a kid just like you when I was growin' up. He was reaaaally smart. And when kids tried to be mean to him, he always stood up to them." He patted Franklin's back and continued, rocking him slightly. "And he had a mom like yours."

"Wus his name?"

"Trevor."

Franklin put his arms around Michael and rested his head on his shoulder. Michael went on, trying to speak carefully.

"Trevor didn't get a lot of birthdays either. Sometimes his mom didn't treat him so nice. Sometimes he was alone. And even though we both knew his mom wasn't the best mom, he always, always loved her."

He squeezed Franklin a little when he felt him start to cry a little more. "And that's okay. Trevor wasn't always the best person either, and I still loved him. You're gonna find out a lot of people got a lot of things they do that can upset you… And sometimes… Sometimes they might… Just go. And it's not always their fault."

He could feel his own eyes water as he rocked back and forth. He put a hand on Franklin's curly hair and sighed.

"Are you gonna go too?"

Michael stopped.

"No. No. I ain't gonna leave you, Frankie."

"… I miss my mom."

"I know kid."

"And I miss Lamar."

"Lamar?"

"From my old house… He lives down the street."

"Are you serious?" Michael pulled back and smiled, trying to blink away the moisture from his eyes. "You got a buddy you didn't tell me about?"

Franklin didn't say anything.

"Well how about I call his folks? He can come over for your real birthday."

"But… We already had my party."

"Early. Because I wanted to show that little prick in your class who he was messing with. Don't say 'prick' by the way."

For the first time today, Franklin looked grateful.

"Let's go get you inside, wash up that face."

Once Franklin was in the bathroom, Michael walked back to the door connecting to the garage. He'd forgotten to close the garage and just as he was about to do so, noticed the bike was missing.

He rushed outside and could just see someone riding away. Michael was livid.

"Franklin, you stay in here and don't talk to nobody! I'll be right back." He grabbed his key for his car and was gone in a flash.

—-

A thousand options ran through Michael's mind. He could pull out the his gun and try to shoot the man down. He could just hit him with the car once he caught up, but no, that would ruin the bike. Maybe he could just drive along side the thief until he abandoned the bike or-

"Shit!" Michael hissed. Imagining all the fun outcomes made him lose sight of the guy. Maybe he cut between the two buildings here, and he'd come out in the other side. He took a sharp turn and hopes he was right. His eyes narrowed, he licked his lips, he smiled. Michael wanted to win.

Before he made it to the next street, the thief sped right passed him, heading up a one way hill. Michael sounded his sirens and drove, half in the street, half on the sidewalk, as the cars tried to move out of his way.

He could probably call for help.

But then he wouldn't be able to strangle the guy.

He was getting close. The criminal tried to cut through the park, but Michael took a chance, sped up and turned sharply again. His tires dug in to the grass and left large marks. Cutting him off, the bike hit the side of the car. Whoever was on it was thrown and slid over the roof, rolling when he landed. Michael was up before he touched the ground.

He threw himself on the man while he was face down, pulling his arms behind his back and pinning them there. The man writhed and swung his head back, hoping to hit Michael in the nose. Michael took this chance to swing his other arm around the man's neck, and squeezed tightly.

"You think you can steal from my family, asshole?" He growled.

"Suck…. A cock… Officer!" The man choked out.

"You're lucky I gotta get back to my kid!" He squeezed again. "You listen to me. You forget a thousand things every day. You're gonna forget where I live, and get lost, because if I catch you again, I ain't gonna forget to-"

The man pushed his hips back against Michael.

"Tightler, Townley. You're making me hard."

Michael turned the guy over quickly, ready to punch him in the mouth, but he stopped just as he wanted to swing his arm forward.

The man looked him directly, and his sharp dark eyes seemed fearless. A cocky smile moved the scar on his upper lip. He cleared his throat a little. "Un. Believable."

"Trevor?" Michael sat up. When Trevor moved his hips again, he lept off.

"Cut that out!"

"Oh my lord." Trevor laughed, lying there and rubbing his neck. "What are you wearing?"

Michael saw that people were starting to come and see what the noise was about. He pulled Trevor up, made a show about getting him in to the back seat, stuck the bike in the trunk, and sped off.

"Trevor…" He said, glancing again from the road to the rear view over and over.

"Yeah. Surprised you remember." He scoffed, arms crossed as he looked out the window. "You gonna turn me in, asshole?"

"N-no." Michael said. "I, ah… Gotta being the bike back." For all the things he wanted to say, he couldn't find the words.

They were back at the house pretty soon. Michael pulled in to the garage and closed it. He turned off the car.

"…"

"…"

"You wanna… Come in?"

Trevor gave him a look. Something between "are you serious" and "do I have a choice".

Michael took the bike out, placed it in the corner, and let Trevor out.

"'Family' huh?" He asked quietly.

"Something like that." Michael said. "It's a weird story."

He opened the door to the house and lead Trevor in. He kept looking back, almost to make sure that he was still there. Trevor stuck his tongue out when he did it again. Michael tried to glare, but he ended up chuckling. Trevor smiled a little.

"Michael?" Franklin was sitting in front of the TV. Dexter's Laboratory was playing as he ate from a small bowl of sugar cereal.

"Hey, Franklin!"

"Where were you?" He looked passed him. "Who the hell is he?"

"Mouth!" Michael warned.

"I-" Trevor began, "and the man who just saved your dad from a terrible thief!"

Michael jabbed Trevor with his elbow. Trevor have him a small kick.

"What?" Franklin said.

"Someone tried to nab your bike." Michael said, taking off his shoes. "I went after him. That's when Trevor showed up and-"

"Trevor?" Franklin interrupted. He walked over to them. "From before?"

Michael took a second to remember. "Yep, just like I told you about." He picked Franklin up. "This is my best friend, Trevor Philips."

Trevor rolled his eyes, but stopped when Franklin held out his hand. "I'm Franklin Clin-… Townley."

Trevor shook his small hand. "Nice to meet you, little compadre." He smiled, but his face was straight we he turned to Michael. "And where's the missus?"

Michael's face told him that was the wrong thing to ask, but Franklin just said "Michael ain't got not girlfriend."

Trevor's eyebrows raised as Michael set Franklin down and told him to put his bowl in the kitchen. Awkwardly, Michael turned to Trevor.

"So…"

"So."

Michael shrugged. "You wanna… Stay over tonight? We got cake."

"Cake?"

"It's his birthday. Sort of."


	6. Chapter 6

Franklin was curled on the couch, asleep, even though it was still too early for bed. Michael and Trevor pretended to watch whatever cartoon was still on while they drank beer and munched on small prices of cake. Michael had changed into some pajama pants and a tank top. He offered some pajamas to Trevor, but he had refused.

"Man," Michael said, keeping his voice lowered a bit so he wouldn't wake the child. "It's great to see you again."

"Is it?"

"I mean it, T. What are you doing here?"

"Got some business to take care of."

"Business."

"Yeah, 'officer'."

"Chump business." Michael said taking a sip.

"My game has improved quite a bit, Mikey." He spat.

"Yeah, sure. Feet off the coffee table."

"Oooh, you gonna tackle me to the floor again if I don't?"

Michael smirked. "You got nerve taking bikes from a cop's house. You didn't used to be sloppy."

"You didn't used to be so fat."

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me," he reached over and used two fingers to jiggle the bit of blab at his chest. "Sugartits."

"Ey!" Michael swatted his hand away. "I ain't fat. But I guess it's easy to gain a little weight your not stealing cars up in Toronto." Trevor's eyebrows furrowed. "And Ontario. And sticking up stores in Liberty City. And Arson here, assault there. Yeah. I kept tabs on you. When I could. Which is hard, when you gotta rely in on crappy info from bumfuck nowhere."

"Why?" Trevor said, ready to stand up. We glanced to make sure that he hadn't woken Franklin.

"Calm down." Michael ordered. "It ain't like that, I ain't gonna bust you. Besides, I lost track of you a long time ago. I just wanted to…" Michael shrugged. "Know what you been up to."

Trevor still looked tense.

"And what have you been up to? Who stuck you with a kid? Something tells me he ain't Amanda's."

Michael sighed. He took another sip of beer.  
"I dunno, bro. You ever… You ever see a puppy, and it's all cute, and you know you'd take it home in a minute if you could?"

"No."

"Well, it's like… It's like that. But not like that."

"What are you even talking about?"

"I saw him. He needed a place. He just kinda stuck in my mind a whole lot. Then… Maybe spur of the moment, like a puppy, I went and got him. He's only been here a short time."

"Yeah but he ain't no dog."

"I know, T." Michael quickly explained about Franklin's mother and aunt. She's been arrested before, for many different things, but that was the first time he had seen Franklin.

"Anyway," he slumped back into the couch. "It's working out, so it's all good, ain't it?"

"So you adopt a kid… Just because."

"Not just because!"

"Sounds like it."

"He…" Michael's cheeks turned a little red, and he hung his head and chuckled. "Man, that's embarrassing."

"What?" Trevor said. Michael looked up at him, smiling a bit and thought for a second.

"He reminds me of you, T."

"You feeling alright, Townley?"

"I mean it. He's bitter, he's lonely, he's independent. He's suspicious and says what he thinks. He just…" In a mix of realization and alcohol, Michael covered his mouth with his fist and tries to keep his laughing quiet. "Ah, T! I thought about you every time I thought about him. So… There. I got him caused I missed you."

Trevor felt his ears burn slightly, as Michael's light eyes and warm smile did their best to melt the cold shoulder Trevor was intent on having. Too bad Trevor had shit to do.

But he took another look at Franklin. He thought about his own mother, and for a second, Trevor thought he could see what Michael meant. Despite all he'd been through, Trevor couldn't imagine how it must hurt to lose his mother.

"How's he taking it?"

"He misses her. Thinks he's in danger all the time. He expects that he's going to end up in jail. If he don't calm down, he's gonna get into some trouble, but I think he'll learn." He quickly went over the incident at school. Trevor was impressed.

"Right home, eh? And he made himself food?"

"Don't think his mom did it for him, so he must have just learned it."

"He's gonna need it with the shitty way you cook."

"You lived off my shitty cooking from time to time, don't forget."

"I," he emphasized heavily, "didn't forget."

They stared eachother down. Franklin shifted in his sleep.

"Come meet my guy." Michael ordered more than suggested.

"What 'guy'?"

"I do a little 'work' on the side, alright?"

Trevor's stubbly cheeks pulled back as he grinned. "You're still in the game!"

"Keep it down. I met a guy. We're gonna do something. Maybe I can get you in."

"I got my own 'guy'." Trevor scoffed. "And I gotta get out of here to meet him tomorrow anyway."

"I'm telling you, it's chump work compared to what I got." Michael assured.

"Maybe some other time."

"Well look, asshole." Michael got up, picked up the discarded pajamas, and held them out to Trevor. "You can at least stay the night. It'll make up for you trying to take Franklin's bike."

Trevor sneered but snatched the clothes from his hand.

"And shower." Michael said. "You're smelling up my house."

—-

Trevor whipped the wet hair from his face as he stepped out, only half dry and just in the pajama bottoms. "Kinda loose." He pointed out. Michael rolled his eyes.

"Hey, Trevor." Franklin walked up to them in the hall, rubbing his eye. "You gonna stay tonight?"

"Maybe a little longer." Michael said despite Trevor's lack of enthusiasm.

"Good. My best friend is comin' too."

"Well ain't that peachy." Trevor patted his head.

"You gonna stay till my real birthday?"

"Uh…" He looked around nervously. "I mean… I can't make any promis-"

Michael, was giving a bit of a pleading look. Trevor sunk back onto the wall. "Yeah. Sure. Christ."

Franklin smiled a little, Michael grinned widely. Trevor wanted to puke. He knelt down.  
"Ain't it time you started getting ready for bed, junior?"

"I'm not no 'junior'."

"He's right, Franklin." Michael said. "Go brush your teeth. In fact, go show Trevor how it's done."

—

Trevor laid back on the couch, using his jacket as a small blanket. The room's dim light changed colors from the late night cartoons. He eyed his clothes tossed in a bundle under the coffee table. Maybe he should just slip them on and leave.

But he didn't want to be a total asshole. He had, reluctantly, agreed to stay for a child's party. "Michael's child", apparently. The thought made him feel strange. It was better than finding out he'd knocked someone up, maybe, but despite whatever sentiment caused it, the decision was completely bizarre for someone like Michael.

"Hey." He heard. Looking up, he saw Michael coming up to him. "Don't sleep there. You can bunk with me."

"Nooo. thanks." Trevor said, curling up as best he could.

"Alright, jeez. Can I just show you somethin'?"

"What?" He growled.

"Bring your ass off my couch and I can show you."

Trevor flung his jacket and got up. Michael led him in.

It was a nice enough room, maybe a little plain. His dresser was filled with all kinds of cologne bottles. In the corner sat a cigar box. A few picture frames were there but most had been turned down. Trevor took a guess as to why and rolled his eyes. There were some posters if movies he liked, Robocop being the only thing close to current. The bed itself was pretty big, "to support all the baby weight" Trevor chuckled.

"I'll let that one go." He said, opening a small drawer from his dresser. He moved some of his underwear and slid out a sheet of paper. "Take a look."

Trevor kneeled a little to get a better look. It was a police sketch, listing a few things he had done in some other city, along with the usual wanted poster bullcrap.

"I was glad," Michael said. "They didn't get you right."

"You can tell that's me?"

"Well sure! I mean, the scowl aint there, and the eyes ain't shaped right, and your nose is kinda like an arrow pointing down at that ass-chin you got-"

"It's not an ass chin!" He said, covering it with his hand.

"I knew it was you." Michael smiled. "Took a trip to help this one guy move, since he was transferring from out station. Found this at his new place…" He shrugged, and placed the paper on top of the

dresser.

"Am I supposed to feel some kind of way about that?" Trevor plopped down on the bed.

Michael bit his lip. "I know. I know we ain't on great terms. And I want to talk about it. Which is why id like it if maybe you could stick around. How long you in town for?"

"I'd intend in leaving as soon as possible."

"Alright. That means at least until after Franklin's birthday." He nodded to himself. "Good."

"You gonna tell me what happened to Amanda?" He pointed at the face down photos.

"I gotta get some sleep tonight, and get Frank to school in the morning. Then I gotta check on things with my guy."

"Me too," Trevor said. "I was supposed to take the bike up to see him, but now that will have to wait."

"I'll get you there myself then. Or I'll show you the way. Whatever you want, just make sure you get back to my place."

Michael tossed a blanket from his closet at Trevor.  
—-

"Bye, Frankie." Michael and Trevor waves from the car. Franklin waved back quickly before going up in to the school.

"Alright." Michael said, beginning to drive again. "Where do you have to go?"

Trevor thought for a second. "Somethin burro"

"… Are you kidding me? You're my partner?"

"YOU know Lester the Molester?"

"The what?!"

"Guys a total creeper!" Trevor laughed.

"So… Guess that means you're staying around here after all?"

"Just until I get a job faaar away from you."

"Too bad for you, your boss is based here. You'd be back." Michael said confidently.

"Joy. Just drive, sugartits."


End file.
